Enemies No Longer
by Monogatari no Shiori
Summary: This story takes place about 20 years after the game ends, and uses mainly characters I made up.
1. The Characters

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The Main Characters:

Note: these are only the first two main characters.  When I add new character, I'll put their stats in right before the story.

I. Kit

· Sex: female

· Age: 16

· Height: 5'4"

· Weapon: saber

· Description: dark blue eyes; dark brown hair; hair in a braid (length: to mid-back) with two tendrils pulled behind her ears and down her front (length: to waist)

· Outfit: dark blue button up shirt with sleeves to her elbows and a white T-shirt (shirt unbuttoned, collarless, and has the Balamb Garden symbol on the back); black jeans; black and silver scabbard at her left side on a black and blue belt; tight, black gloves; black arm guards on each arm; silver necklace with two rings on it around her neck; chain necklace with a charm on it wrapped around her right wrist.

· Bio: Kit is very lively and cheerful, but when there's trouble she'll get serious in a heartbeat.  She is deeper than most people expect her to be because of her cheerful nature.  She cares a lot for her friends.  She would go to any extent to protect them.  She has a mysterious power hidden inside her that sometimes emerges when she's in distress.

I. Strife

· Sex: male

· Age: 18

· Height: 5'9"

· Weapon: gunblade

· Description: light gray-blue eyes; white blond hair; hair pulled back in a really short ponytail with one short tendril that falls across his forehead (length: to the corner of his left eye)

· Outfit: open, black trench coat with a red ring around each arm near the shoulder and a red cross on the back; black silk shirt; black slacks; black gloves.

· Bio:    Strife is the charming, carefree young man Kit meets in Balamb.  The two of them seem to have had a past relationship of some kind.  Strife has trouble following orders from other people, and can be very headstrong at times.  While he is stubborn, he is also somewhat mature.


	2. A Kinight And A Sorceress

Note: this fanfic contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VIII, even though it's set 20 years after the game ends. It's also kind of similar (only a little) to the actual game.  Sorry about that.  I think I should make something clear.  When you see something in stars (* *) that means that I'm describing what's going on.    ( ) Means that's what someone is thinking, and " " is spoken statements, of course.  This fanfic also may contain some cuss words.  If you have a problem with that, tough tiddlywinks, as my English teacher would say.  So, with that said, on with the fic! Chapter One: A Knight And A Sorceress 

*Just inside Balamb.  A young man walks into the town, pauses, and looks up at the brilliant blue sky*

Strife: *sighs* " Well, this is it.  It's all over now." *looks down and shakes head* " Oh, well.  It's not like I care, or anything." *shrugs and starts walking again.  He keeps walking, but stops again when he overhears part of a conversation between to men*

1st Man: "…of course I'm not letting Marie out of my sight, not with rumors of Galbadian soldiers searching for sorceresses again."

2nd Man: "Ya'know, I just heard from Tom that there's some Galbadian soldiers down near the docks right now." *shakes his head sadly* "They just can't leave anyone alone for long."

1st Man: "No! They wouldn't…they wouldn't dare!  Not with Balamb Garden just a few miles away." *he exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing* "Have they forgotten the SeeD?  Have they forgotten that they were defeated by only a few SeeDs twenty years ago?"

*Strife starts walking again, heading for the docks*

Strife: (So, it looks like those rumors are coming true after all.  Galbadia must be counting on something to keep SeeD from interfering with their plans.  The question is, what?  They can't actually believe that they could win a war with Garden.)  *During the twenty years after the fall of Galbadia, SeeD had changed from a mercenary organization to one that was a kind of international police organization.  Although there was still a subdivision within SeeD, White SeeD, that protected sorceresses in addition to the normal SeeD duties.  White SeeDs were considered the elite among SeeDs* (Within an hour or so this town will be crawling with White SeeDs.  Meanwhile, let's see if I can't dig up a few answers about what the hell Galbadia thinks it's doing.) 

*As soon as Strife sees the docks, he spies two Galbadian soldiers.  They seem to be focusing their attention on something Strife couldn't see. Strife crouches behind a nearby car, and watches to see what the soldiers are doing.  He doesn't have to wait long*    

Soldier 1: "OK, kid.  Don't make any trouble and come with us quietly and you won't get hurt.  Resist, and we'll take you by force.  We know you're the Sorceress Kit, so you'd better not try any magic, or you'll be sorry." 

Kit: *she crosses her arms and says calmly* "Go to hell." 

Soldier 1: *steps forward trying to look dangerous* "I don't think you understand who your dealing with, little girl.  We're Galbadian soldiers and…"

*He was cut off by Kit who calmly drew her saber from its ornate scabbard at her left side and swung the elaborate blade so that it stopped right in front of the soldier's nose.  This was done so fast that the soldier was looking down the blade of the saber before anyone realized that she had even moved*

Kit: *smirks. The sunlight reflects back into her eyes, giving them a dangerous glint* "No, I think it's the other way around.  And I don't need my magic to kill wimps like you."

*The two soldiers back up very quickly, clearly afraid of the young sorceress.  Strife gets his first look at the sorceress*

Strife: (!! It's her!)

Soldier 1: Re…Regg!"

Solider 2 *Regg*: Ye…yes, sir!"

Solider 1: "Get the Pepper Bomb, you idiot!"

Regg: "Yes, sir, Captain sir!"

*Regg pulls out what looks like a glass ball about the size of a fist filled with a fine, red powder and hands it carefully to the Captain* 

Strife: (No!) *stands up and blows his cover, but no one notices him*

Captain: *looks at the Pepper Bomb, then over at Kit, and smirks evilly* "Well, kid, you asked for it."

*He tosses the Pepper Bomb at Kit.  It hits the ground at her feet and shatters, sending the powder into the air around Kit.  Kit raises the back of her hand to her face and backs up a step, closing her eyes, but it's too late.  The powder has already touched most of her skin, and been inhaled into her lungs.  The powder quickly dissipates.  Kit begins to cough hard, dropping her saber and falling to her knees*

Captain: "Let's get her!" *he and Regg move forward to grab the coughing Kit.  Or, rather, they tried to.  Strife had come up behind them while they were waiting for the powder to start working, and quickly cut them down with the gunblade he had drawn from inside his trench coat.  That done, he stashed his gunblade in his trench coat, and went over to Kit, who was kneeling with her head on the ground.  She has stopped coughing, but now seems to be having trouble breathing.  He kneels down beside her and takes her gently by the shoulders and lifts her up so he can look her in the face*

Strife: "What's wrong, girl?" *he looks genuinely concerned about her condition*

Kit: *she gasps* "I…can't…breathe.  My skin…burns." *Her eyes are shut in pain*

Strife: "Damn!" *he looks around, and sees the ocean.  He picks Kit up by the shoulders, and half carries her as he hurries her over to the edge of the dock.  He takes a tighter hold on her shoulders, and hurls both of them into the ocean.  He holds Kit close to his body to keep her from drowning as the salt water washes the poisonous powder from her skin and clothes.  He dunks both of them under water a few times to make sure all of the powder is washed off*

Strife: "Inhale some water."

Kit: "Wha…what?  Why?"

Strife: "Just do it." *Kit does as he asks, and begins to cough again, as she inhales more water than she intended to. Strife begins to swim over to the dock, pulling Kit with him.  He heaves her up onto the dock, and then gets up himself.  Kit is on her hands and knees, coughing up salt water, while Strife sits on the edge of the dock, squeezing the salt water out of his hair and trench coat.

Kit: *stops coughing* "Wha…what was that stuff?"

Strife: "Oh, just a really nasty contact poison created by Galbadia.  The only way to get the stuff off is to wash the area that touched the poison in water.  It can cause permanent loss of sight, breathing problems, paralysis and even death, if enough of it gets into the blood stream.  Galbadia calls them Pepper Bombs for obvious reasons.  You're lucky you were near the ocean.  And that I was here, willing and able to help."

Kit: *sitting back on her legs* "Thanks.  Thank you for saving me.  Hey!  You look familiar!" *she looks at his face for a few seconds* "You're that guy I met here last year!  The one who wouldn't tell me his name!"

Strife: *slightly sarcastically* "And you're the girl who wouldn't tell me hers.  So…you're the Sorceress Kit."

Kit: *a little angrily* "So?"

Strife: "So, what's a sorceress doing in Balamb?  I know you don't live near Balamb, and if you had come here from Garden, you'd have a White SeeD with you."

Kit: "I'm not telling you anything until I at least know your name and who you are."

Strife: "Fair enough, seeing how I know yours.  I'm Strife."

Kit: *a little ticked off* "Strife?  Strife what? Don't you have a last name?  And that doesn't tell me anything about who you are."

Strife: " Well, I don't know your last name.  Anyways, I just was curious as to why you were here, that's all."

Kit: *exasperated* "Oh, alright.  My mother caught a strange illness.  I'm going to Esthar to get medicine for her, alright?"

Strife: "Esthar, hum?  That's pretty far from here.  Why didn't you ask Garden for help?  Or at least taken a White SeeD with you?"

Kit: *sullenly and reluctantly* " White SeeDs seem stuck on the idea that I'm made out of glass that will break at the slightest touch."

Strife: "Well, you don't seem very glass-like to me.  Look at how fast you've recovered from Pepper Bomb." *this seemed to surprise Kit.  Suddenly, Strife got an idea* 

Strife: (I can't let her go to Esthar on her own, it's too dangerous, especially with Galbadia looking for sorceresses.  While she does seem to be able to take care of herself, her ignorance and Galbadia are going to get her in trouble.) "Kit, I believe you asked me who is was.  Well, I'm a Sorceress's Knight, dedicated to serving sorceresses.  And I would be honored to have the pleasure of accompanying the all powerful Sorceress Kit on her quest to fined a cure for her ailing mother."

*Kit raises an eyebrow and gives Strife a skeptical look.  He smiles hopefully at her.  Kit looks at him for a few more seconds before breaking down with laughter*

Kit: *when she has stopped laughing* "Alright, you can come with me."

Strife: *surprised* "What?  Just like that?  I thought you wouldn't want any help.  I mean, that's why you didn't ask Garden for help, right?"

Kit: *smiling broadly, she shakes her head no* "Wrong.  I didn't ask Garden for help because White SeeDs are more trouble than they're worth.  But I'm not stupid.  I know that to reach Esthar I'm going to need help, since Galbadia is looking for me.  I already know you, sort of.  And you just saved my life from Galbadian soldiers, so I can count on you not wimping out on me."

Strife: *grins, picks up her saber, hands it to her, and offers her his arm* "Well, Sorceress Kit, if you intend on eluding those pesky White SeeDs much longer, I suggest we be off."

Kit: *grins back at him and smoothly replaces her saber in its scabbard and takes his offered arm* "Then let us be off, good Sir Knight."

So, there you have it, Chapter One of my pathetic excuse for a Final Fantasy VIII fanfic.  Please write a review for this.  If I stink, I want to know it.  Hopefully I'll get a better title for this story soon.  Just one more thing.  I am the world's worst procrastinator.  I put off doing things that I _like _doing, not just reports and stuff (Makaru would know about this.)  So it may take a while for me to get the next chapter up.  Sorry!  Ja ne, minna.

-Meetima Maranwe 


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